Antonio GatesLos Angeles Chargers · #85
Antonio Gates caught 955 passes for 11,841 yards and 116 touchdowns, the most receiving scores ever by a tight end. Undrafted out of Kent State basketball, he spent all 16 seasons with the Chargers and reached the Hall of Fame in 2025.
Antonio Gates — the report card
Read his whole game at a glance, then dive into any skill. Grades are percentiles vs every active player at his position.
Where Antonio Gates stands
Live ladders from the Balladex models, and what he's chasing. Rankings recompute nightly from real production, accolades, and search demand.
Antonio Gates — every number, three levels deep
Headline → metric → the raw history behind it. Real career data; tracking-only metrics labeled.
How the model sees Antonio Gates
Projection = recency-weighted per-season production, nudged along a position aging curve, banded by his year-to-year volatility. No black box — every number shows its work.
Antonio Gates career stats, season by season
| Season | G | Rec | Yds | TD | Tgt | Y/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 15 | 24 | 389 | 2 | 42 | 16.2 |
| 2004 | 15 | 81 | 964 | 13 | 114 | 11.9 |
| 2005 | 15 | 89 | 1,101 | 10 | 140 | 12.4 |
| 2006 | 16 | 71 | 924 | 9 | 120 | 13.0 |
| 2007 | 16 | 75 | 984 | 9 | 117 | 13.1 |
| 2008 | 16 | 60 | 704 | 8 | 92 | 11.7 |
| 2009 | 16 | 79 | 1,157 | 8 | 114 | 14.6 |
| 2010 | 10 | 50 | 782 | 10 | 65 | 15.6 |
| 2011 | 13 | 64 | 778 | 7 | 88 | 12.2 |
| 2012 | 15 | 49 | 538 | 7 | 80 | 11.0 |
| 2013 | 16 | 77 | 872 | 4 | 114 | 11.3 |
| 2014 | 16 | 69 | 821 | 12 | 98 | 11.9 |
| 2015 | 11 | 56 | 630 | 5 | 85 | 11.3 |
| 2016 | 14 | 53 | 548 | 7 | 93 | 10.3 |
| 2017 | 16 | 30 | 316 | 3 | 52 | 10.5 |
| 2018 | 16 | 28 | 333 | 2 | 45 | 11.9 |
| Career | 236 | 955 | 11,841 | 116 | 1,459 |
The Lab
Every number, live and interactive. Real career data; models labeled.
Are the Los Angeles Chargers built to win?
Team projection rolled up from the roster + last-season baselines — and what it means for his role.
The Ballad of Antonio Gates
Birth to now — the making of a legend, narrated and scored.
The beginning
An undrafted college basketball star, Antonio Gates became one of the greatest tight ends ever without ever playing college football.
Turning pro
Drafted Undrafted, 2003 as a Tight End.
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Kent State basketball star with no college football experience
Chapter
Signed undrafted by San Diego in 2003
Chapter
Record 116 touchdown catches with Philip Rivers
Off the court
- Height
- 6'4"
- Weight
- 255 lb
- Draft
- Undrafted, 2003
- Born
- Detroit, Michigan
- Age
- 46
- Jersey
- #85
A Detroit native, Gates became a franchise icon in San Diego and remained close to the Chargers organization after retiring. His path from undrafted basketball player to Hall of Famer is one of the most improbable success stories in NFL history.
Competitive and improvisational, Gates turned basketball instincts into red-zone dominance, thriving on timing and trust with Philip Rivers.
Antonio Gates — frequently asked
The questions people ask most about Antonio Gates, answered.
